10/29 --- Δ Haggard Traveler’s Reprieve?????

[gluttoning]

Who: ??? & you!
What: Something's starting...
Where: Δ Haggard Traveler’s Reprieve (Twilight Shoreline)
When: Sunday, 10/29
Warnings: Will be added as needed.

( Perhaps intrigued by the mail allegedly sent by CC Corp, perhaps visiting the Shoreline by chance, gating into the Area goes as it always does, until the music stays cut for longer than it should, and the black, liminal transition screen lingers for a little too long. The seconds tick on. They near turn to minutes. You can't struggle, you can't argue— you can only simply be, and it occurs to you that maybe you'll be trapped midway here, conscious, for maybe forever.

And then you hear static. Your vision warps; pixels strain into words, blurred and unstable. You see them combat for your attention; you see— )



( And then you load in. )

( POST NAVIGATION )
( Sign-in Comment (Mandatory) • How to Play • Mechanics

Phase 1 • Round 1 • Round 2 • Round 3 • Round 4 • Round 5 • Round 6

Phase 2 • Round 7 • Round 8 • Round 9 • Round 10 •
Round 11 • Round 12

Epilogue )

Comments

[deto]

That’s fine. That’s okay.

[ saying it to himself as much as he’s saying it to yoshi. he did expect that answer, and while he can’t say he’s happy about it, he’s at least… prepared to hear it. he understands in his own clumsy way ]

And - good. Keep doing things for yourself.

[ be a little selfish, ask for one thing everyday ]

[justonezero]

...Are you sure?

[gluttoning]

[Barrett unfortunately isn't in a position to meet him, nor to help, immobilized as he is in the tide. But he does see that smile despite the injury, and it just clouds his expression from the beach with guilt. At least Hector and Leo are tending to him. At least he'll be okay. But Barrett keeps his eyes turned away.

Tylor will get a text in his inbox.]

i'm sorry

please get some rest

you and hani both

[tylorific]

Well, I can't promise no one would see. But they are pre-tty distracted. It's also pre-tty understandable to want to see again.

[ A pause, his hand curls over Ramiel's touch to his splint. A comfortable, undemanding weight. But he still sounds just as casual, too light despite the way the rattling starts to get worse. ]

But then you can stay if you want to, not because you have to.

You can even hit me to make up for it if you want. Just not the leg.

un ; tylorific

[tylorific]

Oh, don't worry. I told you I forgive you for everything already, I really meant that if you remember it.

If you don't: I forgive you!

Besides, it's not a bad trade. You didn't have to hurt as many people and we got you two back alive. That's some pretty amazing odds if you ask me.

Ill trade all that for a broken leg any day. how's yours?

[legendofthelion]

... Yeah. [Dehya's touch is featherlight, as if reaching for a butterfly's wings. But it's there, and it's warm.] That's the one I want to work toward too. Let's do it together after this.

[Because she's going to believe that they can.

Her hand lingers until Levi approaches, and then she too will give them both the space to talk in private.]

[legendofthelion]

Uh, yeah. [Dehya rubs the back of her neck.] It's been getting worse, so... I've been reading a lot of the things I wrote before so I still remember in some way. But if you remember now--that's gotta mean hope for the rest of us.

[legendofthelion]

[Dehya takes a minute before pulling herself to her feet--it's really just the exhaustion, but the effect of it all is starting to ease.

So she approaches Barrett and kneels beside him once he's less crowded.] Hey there. How are you feeling, besides the obvious?

[The got his ass kicked ten ways to Sunday obvious.]

[tablescraps]

( Thinking... )

... It might not be that the memories are "gone," but the way to get to them is deleted. Like deleting a shortcut on your desktop. The program is there somewhere on your computer, even if you can't see how to get to it from are you are.

I'm not sure why I have mine back, but it might be related to why I'm like this.

( He tugs on a rather long lock of hair. )

... Maybe whatever brought me back did a hard reset on me. So I reverted to my real life, or default, appearance, and my default memories. Maybe everyone here needs a hard reset too— roll themselves back before all fo Cubia's tampering.

( The system reset analogy isn't perfect because that would mean he'd go back to not having his Fragment memories, but, it's fine. Kind of hackey, but maybe it gets his train of thought across. )

[deto]

About you? Yeah.

[ 100% ]

Mithrun1 said… Well. Something about how he didn’t know his own heart or the hearts of the people he loved. So he could only rely on what he saw and what he saw scared him.

I know my heart pretty well. I’m just a simple guy. And… I’m not scared that I don’t know your heart yet. I’m… learning it.

[ all the talking, all the listening ]

What scared me was… how I hurt you and the thought that you wouldn’t ever let me near you again. Like if I reached out and you flinched back. That scared me. But… [ he smiles. he loves this boy so much. does it show? ] I reach out and you always reach back.

[tinged]

I claimed it back… in the heat of the moment. But I think it’s right. It has been right.

[ why didn’t they do it sooner when everyone had been calling them by that name? with love, with love. hm. ]

[justonezero]

[He relaxes a little again, hearing all that. Looking at Deto properly.]

...Of course I will. I want to be with you.

[That was never in question, as far as he was concerned.]

And I'm... trying. [To fix himself.] To... understand.

[To be worthy of that love.]

[secondthoughts]

[ Hector has already turned to give his attention elsewhere when he sees the notif. He's glad, in a way, that Barrett can't see his face from here. His vision goes blurry for a brief second before he manages to respond. ]

I should be asking you that.

I'm just happy to see you alive. Rest up, and I'll see you later.

[userunfriendly]

[ It's not. The pain is forever, written into every part of him. And with every healing spell they shower on him, it deepens.

He shakes his head and finally begins trying to push himself up. ]

Save your healing. I'm... fine.

[gluttoning]

[...]

okay

take care of yourself

you helped a lot of people today

help you too ok? i want to have a hector i can still say hi to

[gluttoning]

Hey.

[He's still wiping at his face a bit when she approaches, eyes red from crying even though they've gone long dry.]

I wish I could move a little more. I can't believe I forgot how much this hurts when I do that, though.

[gluttoning]

i remember everything

i get it. it's a small price to pay sometimes. but i wonder what it does to the people who love us.

i think i need to think about it for a while.




hurts. i can't believe i forgot how hard it is to move like this.

[gluttoning]

Yeah. Here I am.

[It's odd to say, and he has to press his palm against his reddened eyes at thinking about it too hard.]

You're okay, too, right? You gotta remember to help yourself, too.

[tylorific]

oh. Well, I meant everything else too.

That's not a bad question. But I don't blame you for any of it. I chose to fight and I shouldn't have gotten distracted anyway.



Want a crutch? We're in the same one legged boat now, aren't we?

[gluttoning]

[The flicker of worry is immediate and easily read.]

Maybe it's like, muscle waste or something? You weren't using them for a while... but if you can move them, that means you're not paralyzed. Maybe we can get them working again.

[It feels strange to have that information suddenly on hand again, of all the experience with his time in the gym and his intense focus on keeping his own body in shape. It feels certain in a way it might not have only days ago.]

...It feels about as bad as I remember from before. [A weak chuckle, attempting to shift his upper body weight with his hands, not unlike how Macha had to exist the week prior.] At least I'm not still in that hospital bed, though.

[gluttoning]

i don't think anyone will say it's your fault for being distracted. a lot was happening. and you took a really big risk baiting me. baiting tarvos.

i think a lot of us are grateful for that.



maybe. i want to say yes. but i don't know if I can. i remember this break. its my thigh. can't really move my hip right now.

i think dehya is gonna help me out of here. she's pretty strong. but i think fighting will be a bad idea for me for now. i've worried people enough not taking care of myself.

[tylorific]

i was just doing what i thought was best. And everyone else was trying so hard too. Was awful lucky I was wearing armor, though.

Yeah, i don't know why or how but I remember you breaking it before. There was a lion there too? Or maybe it was a dream. Anyway, you should take it way easier than me though if it's that bad.

Oh, but I meant a crutch for making it to the bathroom and stuff on your own. I would steal it back myself if you tried to fight with it.

[ Written like he isn't planning to show up to the next fight on a crutch himself... ]

[tablescraps]

I'll keep trying.

( He says, agreeing. Revenge motivated him out of immobility once; it can do it again. (And maybe the homies. Maybe.)

As for Barrett... He purses his lips. He's still pissed off about Barrett's leg snapping. But, with the Waves... it's particularly dangerous. )

... Maybe I can make you something to help you get around if I max out my professions. ( He would've already been maxed if not for Cubia hospitalizing him once and then Phasing him another time. He's definitely peeved about it. ) If it hurts... There might be some mixture of ingredients that can act as painkillers.

( ...

He lets his hands fall from Barrett, and pulls himself closer to him. Almost a lean. His stern expression has returned with some grimness, but he's not spilling fury the way he was before. )

We'll figure it out.

[gluttoning]

[A pause.]

it was lily. lily is the one who broke my leg, and made it look like a bad accident. you came to see me in the hospital, with hani and mithrun. your drawings are still on my cast. we talked for a long time. you told me you used to want to be an astronaut like your dad.



oh. yeah i guess ill need something. i didn't even think about that.

[tylorific]

oh. I see.

You're right, we did talk! I remember that. But i don't need rare classes or items to be happy now, you know. not with all of you guys around to protect.


We'll all help you figure it out. Will you need a new cast? I can draw on that or your new crutch too.